The Weekly Shtikle - Tazria

A belated dedication: Mazal Tov to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Rabbi & Mrs. Avi Lifshitz of Perth, Australia on the birth of a baby girl, Ora (about a month ago.) Mazal Tov to the extended Yeres mishpacha!

Last week we discussed the connections within parshas Shemini. This week, we will explore the connection between the end of Shemini and the main theme of Tazria. The topic that takes up most of parshas Tazria is the illness of tzara'as. Traditionally, (as per Arachin 15b) tzara'as afflicted someone who spoke lashon hara as it did Miriam at the end of parshas Beha'alosecha.

R' Moshe Shternbuch in Ta'am Voda'as, in the name of R' Yisrael Salanter, writes that the end of the previous parsha we are taught of the animals that are not to be eaten and the tum'ah that results when we do. While it seems that very many people are careful about what they put into their mouths, they are seemingly far less careful of what comes out. The juxtaposition of these two topics is meant to show that just as putting the wrong things in our mouths results in serious tum'ah, the same grievous consequences result when we allow the wrong things to come out.

Have a good Shabbos and Chodesh Tov!

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

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